Anyone who has been around small children knows they ask questions, lots of questions. And many of those questions start with “Can I.” Can I have one more cookie? Can I watch TV? Can I stay up late and read? Can we get a pet?
I think we are conditioned early on to ask for permission. We did it as kids with our parents, it continued in school with our teachers. Even as adults, we may find ourselves asking for permission. Women, in particular, tend to have what’s known as upward inflection, the habit of raising their voices at the end of a sentence, in essence turning it into a question, and giving up their power to someone else. (As a young adult, I distinctly remember my grandmother pointing this out to me.)
Why are you still waiting for permission today?
I think it comes down to:
- Waiting until you think you are good enough
- Waiting until you know enough
- Waiting to be assured that you are on the right track, because you don’t trust your own judgment. What if you are wrong?
Do others really have the answers? Are they smarter, more important, more knowing than you about you? Seems highly unlikely, especially once you stop and think about it.
And, waiting just turns into more waiting. You remain frustrated by not taking action.
I know more than one business owner who has not stepped fully into her vision of her business. She either was afraid to take the leap for fear of what others would think, their judgment and disappointment taking precedence. Or she was stuck in someone else’s vision of her business waiting for that to be fulfilled before she could take on her own.
Why are you waiting? Give yourself permission. You are the only one who can.
Have you overcome the waiting game? Would you share how you did that with the rest of us? Post your response below or on our ICAP Facebook or Google+ pages.
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Morna McEver is the founder and CEO of the International Association of Creative Arts Professionals where creative arts entrepreneurs craft business success. Her weekly e-zine offers tips, techniques and inspiration to help you craft business success from your creative arts passion. You can sign up for a FREE subscription at http://www.creativeartsprofessional.com.
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